Set My Heart On Fire
by AliceJericho
Summary: Only months after the Battle of Hogwarts, the school is back open and accepting students who want to come back for their 8th year. Delilah's had a crush on Seamus for nearly five years, maybe it's her time for love. Or maybe not. Seamus/OC
1. Gotta Get Back To Hogwarts

**Author's Note:** It can be said that I have a slight obsession with Seamus Finnigan… So I've decided to write him a story because he doesn't get enough love! He's Irish, come on people! This is the first chaptered story I'll have put up for Harry Potter fanfiction and I really hope it's good! Please give me some feedback, any kind will do! =D Thank you!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p>Chapter One: <em>Gotta Get Back To Hogwarts<em>

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><p>Platform 9 and 34 had never looked so good to the students of Hogwarts. The year prior, no one had wanted to get on the Hogwarts Express and return to the school, but things were very different.

Delilah Longbottom ran through the barrier, closely followed by her cousin Neville and then their grandmother. The familiar looking steam train glistened before them and Delilah almost ran at it out of gratitude.

She had spent way too long with Augusta over the holidays. When her father was setting up his new shop and Delilah hadn't been allowed to help, she was usually stuck with her cousin and grandmother. Sure she was old enough to be at home alone; she just valued any opportunity to spend time with her family… Until she had spent almost every day with them.

"Dean!" Delilah shouted over the voices of everybody in the area, hoping to get her friend's attention. She shouted again as she ran away from Neville and Augusta. The boy hadn't heard her calling his name so when she jumped on his back from behind he almost fell over.

"That has to be Dee!" he grabbed her legs and supported her, "You excited?"

"Yes! I'm actually really happy to be going back to school!"

"Yeah, you and Hermione." he laughed and began to walk around with Delilah on his back, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"Say what you wish, I get to be with you guys for another year!"

"Oh god, I know! That almost caused me to stay away!" Delilah lightly hit his face in response before sighing and resting her cheek on the back of his head.

"I just wish Shay was coming back, too…"

"Then it's a good thing mam almost had a fit when she found out I'd told McGonagall I wasn't coming back to Hogwarts."

Delilah's high pitched squeal caused Dean to scold her quite angrily as it had been right in his ear. She jumped off of his back when the Irish accent filled her ears and ran straight toward Seamus Finnigan.

"I hate you!" she told him half heartedly, "You had me believing all summer that I'd only get to see you on our trips to Hogsmeade and you never once thought to tell me when I was complaining about it?" despite the fact that she was growling at him, she had a huge smile on her face and her arms were around his neck as she hugged him tightly.

"I thought about it…" he said offhandedly, "But Dean and I agreed that it should be a surprise." he was hugging her back, his arms around her waist, and spinning her around in small circles.

"I still hate you." she pulled way from the Irishman and turned to his best friend, "And I hate you, too, for being in on it." Delilah continued to smile as she spoke and watched the friends greet each other.

"Dee, Gran wants to say goodbye." Neville called to his cousin as he boarded the train, pulling her owl, Hoot, on with him.

She disappeared from the boys' view and smirked because she knew she was leaving them to take her luggage onto the train.

The usual goodbyes took place - along with an extra message as Gran told Delilah to make sure Neville behaved himself - and a tear fell down the teenager's face as she hugged her grandmother tightly.  
>The grey eyes of the school's best Charms student shot from her head as the train screamed and began to move. Even with her grandmother close by, Delilah Longbottom swore loudly and ran towards an open door, the one with a black hand stretching out and a loud voice yelling at her to run.<p>

"Come on, Dee!" Seamus helped in encouraging her because he knew just how much she hated physical exercise. She felt as though she was definitely going to miss the train back to school as the end of the platform neared and she still hadn't been close enough to grab Dean's hand.

"Fuckin' hell, Dee! Run!" Seamus was almost as panicked as Delilah and even had his hand out the window, too. Just the encouragement she needed.

She lunged forward in utter desperation, her left hand grabbed Seamus' and her right grabbed Dean's and she actually felt her feet fall off the edge of the platform as the two boys pulled her violently into the carriage making her land on top of them.

"Merlin." Dean breathed heavily, "I was sure you weren't going to make it."

"You? What about _me_? I actually reached the end of the platform! I was pretty sure I was a goner!" she heaved, her chest rapidly rising and falling, "Neville! You couldn't have told me sooner? Say, not JUST before the train was set to leave?"

"I didn't bloody know it was gonna leave so soon! What am I? Psychic?" her cousin shot back as the three rose to their feet - Delilah needing some help from the boys - and Neville was slapped on the arm.

"I think I need a nap." The lone female said dramatically.

"Let's find a carriage first, I don't you want to be trampled by the trolley." sure enough, the food trolley was making its way down the passage that the four occupied and they all had to move quickly.  
>Left and right they looked only to see full carriages. That was the problem with accepting back 7th years who had lost a year of their education and still accepting 1st years, the Hogwarts' Express was assured lack of space for everyone.<p>

Eventually - right down the end of the train - they found a carriage with only two people in it.

"Mind if we sit here?" Dean asked hesitantly, "There's no room anywhere else."

"Sure, come in." Ginny Weasley, his ex-girlfriend, said as she moved from one side of the compartment to the other. She didn't feel awkward at all when she was around Dean.

Taking advantage of Ginny moving to sit next to Hermione Granger, Delilah jumped and landed face down on the empty seat.

"Dee, move." Seamus ordered to no avail.

"Just give her a small push." Neville suggested as he bought up his foot to kick Delilah's behind.

"There's not enough bloody room for you to have a whole seat to yourself." Seamus told her what she already knew but she pretended not to hear him.

With a sly smile, Seamus lifted her head just enough for him to be able to slip in underneath and then he let her head rest in his lap. Dean did the same thing with her legs.

"Oh, Dee! I wasn't sure you were going to make it!" Hermione sighed.

"Neither." Delilah responded, turning to face Hermione. She was trying to keep her cool, trying not to freak out, but with her head in her crush's lap that was proving difficult. "I've never run so hard in my life." a chorus of laughter filled the compartment because they knew it was the truth.

Conversation soon turned to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, both the boys had gotten positions working as Aurors in the Ministry almost as soon as they had gotten back to The Burrow because of new proclamations by Kingsley Shacklebot that if you fought at the Battle of Hogwarts you didn't need to pass any exams - something Ron thought was brilliant. According to Ginny, Hermione and Ron were so sickeningly in love that it was near impossible to be in the same room as the two without vomiting, but Hermione said the same about Ginny and Harry.

Dean recapped the story of him being taken into custody by the snatchers after Hermione had shared hers.

Neville had only come back because Gran was making him, he would have been quite happy to take a job at the Ministry but Augusta was dead-set on Neville completing his schooling.

Seamus - the person Dee paid most attention too - told of how his mum had threatened to send him to his grandma's house for the year if he didn't go back to Hogwarts.

Delilah told the carriage that her father had taken over Eeylops Owl Emporium because the previous owner was killed when Death Eaters were raiding Diagonal Alley and his wife couldn't keep it. Her father had been offered the store because beforehand he was Eeylops number one provider of owls - he had been a breeder for many years and was the first choice to take over.


	2. He Likes Lav

**Author's Note:** Thank you to my three reviewers! (_ThinkBigDreamBigger, Moon Wolfsbane_ and _DamonSalvatoreLover)_. You're all incredibly awesome! I hope you enjoy this chapter, too, and that you're awesome enough to review! I have recently begun allowing anonymous reviews, too! So go ahead! Please! =D now for some Seamus!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p>Chapter Two: <em>He likes Lav<em>

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><p>It was a relief to all students to see Professor McGonagall standing at the podium – the place Snape had occupied the year before and Dumbledore before that.<p>

"Welcome! Welcome! Please take a seat! Professor Slughorn will be bringing in the first years as soon as the rest of you are seated!"

The general aura of the Great Hall was peace. People were chatting away happily – mainly asking when the food would appear on the tables – while they awaited the arrival of the little first years.

The doors to the Grand Hall opened and every single head turned expecting to see Professor Slughorn but they saw Lavender Brown instead. People began muttering and pointing. Lavender stared at her feet as she walked. Delilah took one look at her best friend, smiled widely at Dean and Seamus, and shot out of her seat so she could sprint to her.

"Lavender!" she screamed excitedly before she hugged the shocked girl tightly.

"Hey Dee." Neither said any more than that, Delilah only grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her back to the Gryffindor table.

"I didn't think you were coming back." Delilah whispered to Lavender, "I just thought…"

"McGonagall thought it might be good for me. Hi Seamus, hey Dean." The two boys smiled and greeted Lavender. The look in Seamus' eyes when she spoke caused envy to shoot through Delilah's body because she wished that he would look at her like that even just once.

It was hard not to notice the scars covering Lavender's face. She had obviously tried to hide them with makeup but there was far too many. Most people in the hall had scars from the Battle – all irremovable because they were caused by Dark Magic – but Lavender's were by far the most noticeable.

The doors opened again and Professor Slughorn led a group of small children down the centre aisle.

"I swear I wasn't that small!"

"You were bloody tiny, Shay." Delilah was shot a jokingly warning look by the Irishman.

"Let the Sorting begin!" McGonagall announced as the first child was called to the three-legged stool.

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><p>"Hermione do you know the password? We want to get in before the midgets get taken up." Seamus asked.<p>

"I do, but they're already being taken up."

"Alright." He sighed, "Can we hang out down here while everyone else is going in?"

"As long as you don't get caught and throw Gryffindor into negative points."

"I've gotten good at hiding from teachers, we all have." He told her with a proud smile before he, Dean, Delilah and Lavender walked out the castle's front door and down to the Lake.

"It's nice to be able to do this without worrying about my leg being chopped off." Delilah stated as she stretched out on the grass, Lavender quietly sat beside her whilst the boys threw rocks into the water.

"Show us your leg, Dee." Dean came up the small hill as Delilah pulled her sock down, revealing a gash the size of her wand on the back of her left leg.

"Shit!" Seamus swore once he saw it, "I'm so glad they're dead." He commented causing Dean and Delilah to laugh despite the relation to death.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe you might have been the reason behind that."

"They had it coming." The Irishman shrugged. "At least I'm still devilishly handsome, though. Am I right?"

"Whatever you say, mate." Dean joked before he turned serious, "Lav, you're being unusually quiet."

"I've been through a lot." She said and the strain in her voice added to her statement.

"You look better than Shay does." Delilah smirked as Seamus scoffed incredulously.

"This isn't a joke, Dee. I _was_ attacked by a werewolf. In human form. I'm going to be hideous for the rest of my life." The blonde sulked.

Dean and Delilah both looked to each other and the latter sighed, "I'm sorry Lav. I don't know how you feel or anything. I don't know."

"That's right. You don't know." Lavender got to her feet and began the short walk back to the castle.

"Lavender!" Seamus called after her, hot on her heels.

Delilah's face visibly dropped as her crush chased after her best friend. It wasn't hard for Dean to notice so he sat beside her – the space formerly occupied by Lavender – and wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulder. Tears were no longer available when it came to the topic of her unreciprocated love but that didn't stop the sadness.

"He's not hurting you on purpose."

"That doesn't make it hurt any less."

For five minutes they sat next to each other and stared out across the Black Lake. Eventually Dean stood up and held his hand out to Delilah.

"Come on. We have to get back before Filch finds out. He's bound to be even worse now that stupid cat died."

"Didn't it get killed?"

"Either way," Dean shrugged, "he was horrific when it was petrified so it'll be worse now that it ain't coming back." They both laughed as they walked into the Entrance Hall.

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><p>Delilah was ambushed by Hermione as she opened the door to her new room.<p>

"I thought you'd gotten caught! Lav and Seamus came back ages ago!"

"Sorry, we started walking to the Room of Requirement out of habit. We were half way there before we realised where we were actually going." I got onto the four post bed, closed the curtains and began to change into my pyjamas.

"You and Dean? I thought you liked Shay."

"I _do_… Merlin, of course I do! Dean and I are _just_ friends. I like Shay too much to even _think_ about another guy. Except Krum. He's still very dreamy, Hermione. Is he single?"

"I, um, I suppose… I could write him a letter and ask…" the look on Hermione's face was enough to make Delilah laugh out loud letting Hermione know that she was joking.

"I thought you _actually_ wanted to get with Viktor! He's handsome and all, but not very bright."

"So's Shay." I smiled as I pulled back the curtains, "It doesn't matter, though, because he doesn't like me like that and I'm pretty sure he likes Lav."

"Oh… Dee…" the brunette sent her friend a sympathetic smile.


	3. The Smell of Charcoal

**Author's Note:** If you haven't already picked it up, I should tell you that this is a mixture between the book and the films (because sometimes the film classes/information fits better with the story and vice-versa) and I've made some stuff up. For instance, Neville doesn't return to complete his NEWTs according to JK Rowling's canon, but I've made him return. Um… It's just over 1600 words and it could be longer… but I wanted to update =] So, please enjoy it! Merci to _Moons Wolfbane_ and _DamonSalvatoreLover_. Danielle (my lovely friend) you suck. =P

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p>Chapter Three: <em>The Smell of Charcoal<em>

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><p>We had Potions as our first class of the school year, just like every year before, and Slughorn was much happier than he was at the beginning of last year. It was great to have him back to his usual jolly self.<p>

"I thought we might begin the year with a sixth year potion just to refresh your memories. You should all remember brewing the Draught of Living Death, Mr Potter was quite the expert. But he's off in the world and we need a new master potioneer." Hermione's face lit up because she knew that with Harry, and that book, gone she was going to be top of Potions yet again.

"Are we working together of separately?"

"I think we'll work in pairs because we need to get this out of the way quickly. Sort yourselves out and begin." People scattered around the room and grabbed their partners.

"Work with me, Dee?" Seamus asked with a hopeful smile.

"Nice try, but I'd like to keep my hair intact." Delilah noticed Seamus' embarrassed expression, "I distinctly remember you not doing too well with this potion last time."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll work with Dean, then." He moved to his best friend quickly and Hermione stood next to Delilah.

"It's good that we are working with people only in our year. I know some classes have combined seventh years with eighth."

"That's because so many people began choosing Potions after Snape stopped teaching it.

Delilah and Hermione scanned the room, taking in all the students.

Blaise Zabini had been forced by his mother to return, as had Pansy Parkinson. Together they were the only 7th year students to return to Hogwarts at all. Pansy had been nothing but nervous because she had tried to turn Harry into Voldemort. Blaise, on the the other hand, was as uncaring as he had been every year before and seem unfazed about returning to the school.

Ravenclaw was represented in the Potions class by Padma Patil, Terry Boot and Michael Corner though all the Ravenclaws returned to the school to repeat the year.

Ernie Macmillan was the lone Hufflepuff in the class: he was one of four to come back.

Lavender, Seamus, Dean, Hermione and Delilah were all taking Potions. Parvati and Neville were the other two Gryffindor students to repeat their 7th year, though neither was taking Potions.

"I was wondering… Last time we brewed this potion, Slughorn showed us some Amortentia… I never got to ask you what you smelt." Delilah stared down at her Potions' book and pretended that she had not heard her. "I know you heard me," Hermione said matter-of-factly, "What did you smell? I smelt freshly mowed grass, new parchment and Ron's hair, if you must know."

"Wow, you smelt Ron?" Delilah asked, significantly less worried about sharing what she smelt. "Eucalyptus, chalk and… charcoal." As she said the last word, she sent a sidewards glance at Seamus and turned back to Hermione looking somewhat distraught. "I thought it was stupid."

"How is that stupid? Those smells aren't… Oh." The charcoal smell registered in Hermione's mind as Delilah's desire for Seamus as soon as the latter blew up his potion.

"Already Mr Finnigan? That's a new record! Start again." Slughorn said with a tired voice.

Delilah stared at her book but Hermione could see that tears were beginning to brim in her eyes. Hermione reached over and squeezed her friend's hand, offering a comforting smile. Soon they began to work though it wasn't very successful.

By the end of the lesson, not one person had successfully completed their Draught of Living Death, but no one seemed to really mind. Not even Hermione. She merely shrugged and smiled carelessly.

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><p>"Remind me again why I actually chose Potions."<p>

"I don't know, Shay. Why did you? You were dangerously close to blowing up that classroom." It was Lavender who spoke and Delilah smiled at her friend, happy that she was at least _speaking_. "Next time I'm working on the other side of the room."

"Agreed!" Delilah said with a giggle and Seamus pushed the two of them in the back for laughing at him.

"You," Seamus spoke as he threw his arm over Delilah's shoulders, "_have_ to help me now. Charms is your subject and I'm not taking that class without your help this year. More than a few things were destroyed last year."

"How did you even _get_ into OWL Charms? I love you to death, Shay, but you're a walking fire hazard." Everyone but Seamus flinched when Delilah said that she loved him. He thought nothing of it.

"How was your free, Nev?" Padma asked the boy who joined them, trying to take attention away from Delilah.

"Boring. There's only so much you can do when you haven't got any homework yet."

"You and Luna hook up, then?" Seamus asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"She was had Transfiguration." Neville grumbled and the people around him pouted sarcastically. "Shut up guys."

"Hey! Gran said to behave yourself! You have to be _nice_, Neville!" Delilah scolded her cousin, "You don't want to receive any howlers this early in the year do you?" Neville sent her a look that she had never seen before, but she stood her ground. Neville was the only person she had never had a problem standing up to.

"I heard Flitwick talking to Madam Hooch when I was walking back to the Tower last night; he said that we'd be creating _Portkeys_ this year." Padma stressed, implying the difficulty of said spell. "But we all know that Dee's going to pass with flying colours."

"No, that's not true." Delilah exasperated, "Why does everyone assume that I can do _anything_? Hermione'd have better luck than me."

"Dee, stop underestimating yourself. You're better than me at Charms, and you know it."

"I'm rubbish at everything else, though." Delilah mumbled, angry that people were trying to talk her up. She was afraid that she wouldn't meet their expectations.

"We're only talking about Charms now." Padma scoffed, "If you aren't the first person to do this then something's wrong with the world."

Delilah – despite the fact that she wanted to – refrained from reminding everyone that during the Battle of Hogwarts she was unable to perform a Patronus Charm when it was desperately needed. When practicing in the Room of Requirement she had managed to produce a parakeet as her Patronus, using her first meeting with Seamus as her happy memory. She was, however, unable to reach that happy memory when surrounded by Dementors.

"Stop thinking of the Battle. Patronus Charms are bloody hard, Dee." Dean came up behind her and shocked her out of her thoughts, "If I remember correctly, you aced _Ascendio_, _Glacias Tria_ and _Fumos Duos_. You saved my life more than once that day."

"It's… I don't know. Embarrassing, I guess? Being unable to do that stupid charm when I'm the best Charms' student at this school." She shrugged at him even if it was eating away at her, "I guess I have to make the first Portkey to redeem myself."

"Yeah, you can do it easy."

"No doubt you have heard the rumours. They spread like fiendfyre around this school." Professor Flitwick stood on his podium ready to begin the lesson. "All of you showed exceptional talent when you were under pressure," Delilah looked at her hands which were placed in her lap, "and I am very proud of each and every one of you."

"Is it true we're making Portkeys?" Neville asked the teacher before he could go off into his own little world.

"Yes! Yes! The rumours are true! We are going to be spending the next month making Portkeys. Who can explain what a Portkey is? Yes, Miss Granger."

"A Portkey is a means of magical transportation for wizards of all ages. Any ordinary, inconspicuous object can be used as a Portkey. They are used to transport any number of wizards from one place to another." Hermione finished and took a huge breath for she had not done so at all while she was speaking.

"Wonderful, Miss Granger! It's wonderful to have you back! Now, who here has used a Portkey?" Everyone in the class raised their hands and Flitwick nodded. "Excellent! We are, naturally, going to begin with the theory. Textbooks out, please!"

They started reading in silence but were 'casually' shooting notes to each other from across the room. Flitwick would have cared had it not been the first Charms class. Also, their use of charms to send the letters let it slip past. He had had enough, however, when a student used _flagrate_ to write 'Theory Sucks' in the air.

"Mr Smith! Detention!" Zacharias Smith scowled at the small man.

"Hey, Smit!" Seamus shouted at the Hufflepuff, "What's your problem? How are you a bloody Hufflepuff? Loyal? Un-bloody-likely! You fled! You cowardice bastard!" It was the first time Seamus had been able to get his hands on Zacharias, and he wasn't letting it go.

"Seamus, _leave it_." Dean was stern and glaring at his best friend.

"No! The bloody git thinks he can return to Hogwarts? He thinks he can come back to the school he left to be destroyed? Oh, while I'm at it. Pansy came back too!" Seamus' anger was taking over. It had done so the year before and resulted in lots of trouble for the Irishman, "She wanted to hand Harry in! Why the bloody hell did you come back? You're both as bad as each other."

"That's enough, Mr Finnigan! You will also be serving detention." Seamus turned to look at Delilah, hoping for the backup she had given him when he was arguing with the Carrows but she shook her head. He deserved this one.


	4. Inner Tarts

**Author's Note:** Hey, I'm back! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Many, many thanks to DamonSalvatoreLover, Moon Wolfsbane and ThinkBigDreamBigger for their kind reviews! Thanks for the alerts and faves, too, I guess. You should pop in and give me a review! Just to say 'hi', even!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p>Chapter Four: <em>Inner Tarts<em>

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><p>Delilah Longbottom was up incredibly early the next morning, much to her chagrin. None of her roommates were awake. Not Hermione, not Lavender, not Ginny, not Parvati. Just Delilah. It was difficult to get changed as quietly as she wished, so Delilah decided getting changed was pointless and wlaked down to the Common Room in her pyjamas. It was – according to her watch – only just six.<p>

"I guess I've got the Common Room to myself." She spoke to herself because no one was around to make fun of her, or so she thought.

"Not quite."

"Oh, Nev! You scared the living day lights out of me!"

"Sorry, Dee. What are you doing up so early? It's not like you." Delilah joined her pyjama-clad cousin on the two seater couch in front of the fire, resting her feet on his unsuspecting lap.

"I just woke up crazy early, I guess I'm supposed to do something." She shrugged, "What about you? You barely make it to class on time."

"I had rounds." Neville answered in a casual tone. Delilah thought nothing of it until she noticed a badge on his chest marked with a capital 'H'. Delilah scrambled to crawl to her cousin, taking the badge in her fingers and inspecting it closely.

"Why didn't you _tell_ me? I only spent every day with you!" no time was given to answer; Delilah wrapped her arms around Neville's neck and hugged him, "I'm _so_ proud of you! You deserve it! I still can't believe it, though! What did Gran think? Who else knows? No! More importantly, who's Head Girl? Why didn't McGonagall tell _everyone_ at the Feast?"

"She did. You were too busy drooling over the Irish. I didn't tell you because it's not a big deal. Gran was sure they'd sent it to the wrong person but proud… And everyone who was paying attention at the Feast knows. Yesterday during my free I was with McGonagall.

"Alright, who's Head Girl? Is it Luna? Oh! That's so cute!"

"I wish! It's Hannah."

"Abbott? Hufflepuff? Tall, blonde?"

"The one and only." She smiled at him, proud as she had ever been. She willed herself not to cry and only succeeded because Neville caught her and proceeded to laugh.

"I'm sorry if I think this is bloody brilliant. Nev, you deserve this more than anyone else. Take a few points from Zacharias for being a mindless ponce and a few from Parkinson for being alive won't you?"

"This is why you never made prefect." He said pointedly.

"No, I never made prefect for two reasons. I was up against Hermione and I'm terrible with rules." Delilah spoke the truth but her cousin shot her a knowing look, "Fine _and_ because I would abuse the power of being able to deduct points."

"You guys are too loud! I can hear you half way up the stairs." Dean entered the Common Room, he, too, was still in his pyjamas.

"Well so_rry_ Mr Thomas. It's just that _this_ git here just told me he was Head Boy."

"You didn't tell her? You came in after the Feast and almost broke your bed you were so excited." Delilah hit Neville's arm angry as Dean spoke, even more annoyed that he hadn't told her.

The three of them sat in front of the fire – Neville and Delilah sat on opposite ends of the couch, her feet resting on his lap again, and Dean sat on the floor in front of Delilah – and started talking. It was about the _Evening Prophet_ and the information it contained about the arrests of more Death Eaters.

"I bet it was Harry," Delilah stated with a nod, "Ginny says he hasn't stopped." She rested a small hand on top of Dean's head and messed up his hair. "When we talk about her – Ginny – or she's around… Does it bother you?"

"She's with Harry now." Dean shook his head.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I'm over it, Dee, really. I've had enough time."

"Glad to hear it!" She ruffled his hair some more.

"So, Dean. I'm with Luna, Dee's in love… Who do you fancy?" Dean turned his head to look at Neville – thus making Dee's hand fall – and laughed.

"Nah, mate. I'm not interested in anyone at the moment. Just enjoying being alive." They agreed that it was a good idea before turning the conversation back to the _Evening Prophet._

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><p>"Honestly, you're still in your pyjamas? It's nearly eight! Did you want breakfast or not?" It was Hermione who finall alerted them to the time. Many people had walked through the Common Room but nothing was said to the three by the fire.<p>

"We've been talking for nearly two hours…" Delilah yawned and used her feet to push Dean forward so she could stand up, "Great chatting with you , boys."

"We should make sure Seamus is away," Neville was heard saying as he walked off.

"He won't be." Dean didn't even hesitate to say.

Delilah ran up the stair case, almost knocking over a few first years, and burst into her dormitory. Lavender looked like she hadn't slept a wink, Parvati looked less-than-thrilled about going to class and Ginny looked elated.

"It _was_ Harry! He caught the Death Eaters yesterday! Him and Ronald!" Ginny smiled with absolute pride, "He's caught so many!"

"Harry or Ron?"

"Both of them! Kingsley is _so_ pleased with them! Dad says there's word going 'round the Ministry that Harry is already in line to be Head of the Department!"

"Justifiably so! And that's a good thing! Your future will be nothing but stable." Delilah was making kissy faces at the redhead who was too busy dreaming of her future that she didn't notice."Everyone ready for classes? What do you all have?"

"Lav and I have Care of Magical Creatures."

"Brilliant! So do I!" Delilah smiled at her friends brightly.

"_I_ have Herbology. The class is so popular that they have _two_ classes! Ginny was in disbelief, "It has to have something to do with people seeing the damage the plants did at the Battle, no one wanted to drop it after that."

As the four girls walked down to breakfast, Parvati commented that the staircases were even quicker to change than they used to be and Ginny noticed extra trick steps – presumably caused by the curses that had struck them only months before.

Neville, Dean and Seamus were waiting for the girls outside the Great Hall just like they always did. Delilah sent Seamus a warm but smile but he turned to walk into the Hall without even acknowledging her presence.

"What?" Delilah asked, hurrying to keep up with him, "Are you still sour because I didn't help you out yesterday? This year is different Shay! You weren't about to have a wand drawn on you! You have a detention that isn't going to end with you covered in blood!"

"What are the-"

"Lovers' quarrel."

"Shut it, Neville." Seamus thumped his friend upside the head. "But it was _Smith_ and _Parkinson_."

"I asked the cousin if he could maybe dock a few points from them this morning. Okay? I haven't suddenly decided to befriend either of them I just don't feel the need to interrupt a class to tell them how I feel. I'm happy with doing in it in the halls."

* * *

><p>"You're in our Creatures, class?" Delilah asked when she noticed that Seamus hadn't turned off to a room in the Castle but was, instead, following them down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He nodded but didn't say anything. When he was walking in front of her, she pretended to choke him. Parvati started giggling beside her.<p>

"Are you eighteen or not?" Lavender asked as she watched her friends behave childishly. "Grow up, Dee."

"Wow, lighten up Lavender. Why don't you let me know when my best friend's back?"

"I'm still your best friend, Delilah." She said as she stopped in front of Delilah and put her hands on her shoulders, "I just think, that after _everything_, we should all grow up and act like adults."

"I did a whole lot of growing up last year."

"Standing up to the Carrows wasn't brave, it was bloody stupid. You may have been Gryffindor's freakin' queen for doing it, Delilah… But in hindsight and it was pathetic and a plea for attention."

"At least the attention I was getting wasn't because I'm an easy shag." Delilah spoke without thinking. It was a comment made by just about every other girl in the school, and some guys, but never had Delilah said such a thing.

"Right. Why don't you send me an owl when Dee comes back." Lavender turned around as soon as she had finished speaking, walking with haste down to their half-giant teacher.

"Fuck. I didn't mean to say that." Delilah swore, "She has to know I didn't mean that! She's my best friend!"

"That doesn't change the fact that, yes, she is a bit of a tart." Parvati commented, "She's been through a rough time, though. I wouldn't be surprised if she tarts it up a bit in an attempt to get her self esteem back."

"You're worse than I am!"

"I'm allowed to be. I'm the tart of our family." Parvati said with a shrug, "I'm only back here because Padma convinced our parents that it was compulsory. If it wasn't, I'd be pub-hopping all through Europe looking for guys with accents." The Indian girl was smirking as she spoke, "She'll come around. Just try apologising to her. You two fighting is going to blow this group to smithereens if we have to start picking sides.


	5. Pride

**Author's Note:** Hey! Look, I have exams coming up and straight after that I'm off to France for three and a half weeks, so this might be the last update you get for two months… Thanks to _ThinkBigDreamBigger, DamonSalvatoreLover _and _ZoZoZoey _for their reviews!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Five: <em>Pride<em>

* * *

><p>"What's up with her?" Delilah heard Dean ask her cousin. "She was fine this morning."<p>

"She called Lav a slag, not in those words, but that was the gist. They aren't speaking now."

"Oh, ouch. It's not exactly a lie, but it's an unspoken rule that no one tells Lav." Dean spoke as he sat down in front of the fire.

"She's not as bad as Romilda or Marietta." Neville reasoned and the pair of them laughed, "From what Parvati said, it was a stupid fight and Lav's not innocent either. It won't last long."

"Yeah," Dean agreed, "they've fought before, they'll get over it."

"I'm sitting right here, guys." Delilah kicked the back of Neville's head, "Thank you for gossiping about me like Lav would." The boys, again, burst out in laugher at her discrete, straight-faced joke, "Just don't talk about me like I don't exist."

"Fine, what did Shay have to say?" Dean's question caught her off guard – like all Seamus related questions did – and she stumbled over her words.

"Wha-Sh-uh… Why does he have to have an opinion?"

"He always has an opion." That could not be argued, so Delilah only shrugged.

* * *

><p><em>The first of September had arrived far too early for Delilah Longbottom. No matter how much her parents had tried to prepare her, she was not ready. Her cousin was just as bad, if not worse, and neither was helping the other.<em>

_"What if I get sorted into Slytherin?" Delilah asked her father nervously with her cousin in ear shot – she was asking for the both of them._

_"Unlikely. There is a one in four chance that will happen." Maths managed to make her feel worse._

_"What if I'm not with Nev? I _have_ to be with Nev!"_

_"I'm sure the two of you will be together." Delilah's mother assured her, "You're definitely alike. Almost the same person."_

_Delilah turned to Neville who was talking with their Grandmother. He had gone paler than she had ever seen him and was squeezing Trevor so hard that the toad's eyes were almost popping from its head._

_"You will – as well as Delilah – be in Gryffindor like your parents. The Hat knows where you came from." Neville wasn't anymore appeased by these words._

_Eventually the two eleven year olds boarded the red steam train, both of them quaking. Delilah gripped onto the sleeve of her cousin's shirt and followed him through the train. It was hard to determine who was more frightened._

_"There's a free room…" Delilah spoke quietly, trailing off when she saw two boys inside._

_They were polar opposites. There was a ridiculously small boy with sandy coloured hair, a pale complexion and freckles, he looked like he'd woken up and hopped on the train. The other was a tall-for-his-age boy with dark hair and dark skin, he looked very clean cut and almost as though his mother had dressed him._

_"Ya can come in." the pale – and apparently Irish – boy said looking to his friend for confirmation. When the dark boy nodded, Delilah and Neville walked into the compartment, both with their heads down. "I'm Seamus, this is Dean. What are your names?"_

_"Delilah." She squeaked, not lifting her head even as she sat down._

_"Neville." Her cousin answered very similarly._

_"Are you first years? We are." Dean asked, receiving two nods, "Seamus was just telling me about houses. What did you want to be in?"_

_"Gryffindor. Both of us."_

_"Are you brother and sister?" Delilah looked up at Seamus who was smiling kindly at her. "You're not very brave are you? How are you going to be a Gryffindor?"_

_"We are!" Delilah argued loudly offended that he had said she wouldn't be a Gryffindor. It was one thing for her to say and a complete other for someone else, "What would you know? Neville's the bravest person I know!"_

_"You don't know many people then, do you?" Seamus smirked, proud to get a rise out of her._

_"_You're_ going to be in Slytherin! Because you're an absolute prat! Neville's parents are Aurors! He's going to be a great wizard!" Delilah did not necessarily believe this at the time, she was just defending her family in the heat of the moment._

_"Auror?" Delilah turned her attention to Dean and looked at him like he had three heads._

_"Auror? What you mean? You don't know what an Auror is?"_

_"He's a Muggleborn," Seamus revealed, "Dark-wizard catches." He explained to Dean before turning back to Delilah, "What's their names?"_

_"Frank and Alice Longbottom. They're the best in the whole Ministry."_

_"Stop it, Dee." Neville said quietly, quickly growing embarrassed at what his cousin was saying, as well as being terrified that he wouldn't meet everyone's expectations._

_"What? It's true!" suddenly Dee realised what she'd been doing and dropped her head once more, shutting her mouth quickly._

_"You'll probably be a Hufflepuff."_

_"What?" she said asked despite her embarrassment, offended that he would even think that._

_"Me mam was a Hufflepuff. They aren't as bad as everyone says, you know. I wouldn't mind being one, bring some prestige to the house."_

_Delilah looked to Dean. Even as an adult she remembered the awestruck expression on his face at everything being talked about, to him the whole conversation was nuts._

_"Do you know magic?" Neville remained completely silent at the question, Seamus shrugged but Delilah grinned._

_"I do!" she pointed her wand – 9 inches, pine wood and phoenix feather – at the sketch book and spoke clearly, "_Wingardium Leviosa."_ Seamus applauded. Dean was in disbelief and Neville went hiding in his coat._

_"Oh, that's wonderful!" A new voice joined them and Delilah hastily let the book fall, pulling her wand to her chest._

_"Trevor!" Neville lunged at the now open door, attempting to grab the toad._

_"Oh, I'm sorry!" the witch said sincerely, "I'll help you find him. That was brilliant, by the way. How long have you known about magic?"_

_"Forever. I'm a pureblood, so's Neville."_

_It was revealed that Seamus was a half-blood but Dean and Hermione – the new girl – were Muggleborn, hence both of their disbelief and awe._

_Delilah had cherished her first meeting with Seamus because he managed to pull her from her shell, without him she surely would have been a constantly-picked-on Hufflepuff._

* * *

><p>"He tried to tell me I was going to be a Hufflepuff."<p>

"I remember that. The first time we met." Dean nodded as he remembered the encounter. "He was eleven and he had an opinion on everything.

"I tried to tell the Hat I should have been a Hufflepuff." Neville told his friend and cousin, "That's what took so long."

"We were almost a Hat Stall!" Delilah laughed at him, "But you are a Gryffindor, you pulled the sword didn't you? If Frank and Alice knew what you'd done, Nev… Come on," she said as Neville dropped his head and reverted to his former self, "_Gran_ is proud of you!"

"Yeah, I've met your Gran… She's not very easy to please. You're parents… I wish my mum knew what have the stuff I talked about _meant_. She doesn't even understand."

Delilah stood up and sat down in between the boys on the floor, "Well, I'm proud of both of you. And that's all that matters." She was smiling and the boys instantly knew she was joking. Despite the common room being quite crowded, they all burst into laughter. Not one of them cared, at least they _could_ laugh after everything that had happened to them.


	6. Fire

**Author's Note:** I didn't mean for it to take this long! I swear! I didn't get much time to write in France… And when I did they were all new stories and I'm sorry! So, thanks for the reviews and I hope everyone's still around!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Six: <em>Fire<em>

* * *

><p>One solid week had passed and Lavender had not spoken one word to Delilah since their fight. Meaning that Parvati was never around either. Delilah spent most of her time with Hermione, Ginny and Luna if not the boys.<p>

"I thought frees were supposed to be fun." Delilah threw her quill at her ink pot and watched both fall off the table, the glass shattering and the ink seeping into the carpet.

"Hey there Ronald! I didn't know you were here!" Hermione joked before casting _'reparo'_ to clean up the mess her friend had made. "Honestly, Dee, it's our final year. What did you expect?"

"I did this essay twice last year and failed both times."

"It's on the History of Gringrotts. It's not that difficult." Delilah pulled a horrified face at Hermione's words.

"I really haven't missed this side of you." Hermione smiled and offered to help with the essay, saying that she'd finished it a couple of days ago. "You actually miss helping those two, don't you?"

"I guess. It was just one of those things that happened, you know? It was a good way to pass time. And now they're not here and everything's different."

"Of course everything's different!" Delilah almost laughed, "You were there! A big part of it, too!"

"He kissed me that night." Hermione said quietly and Delilah stopped talking so she could take in the dreamy look on the other witch's face.

"When?" she eventually asked in disbelief, "There wasn't really much time for snogging that night. And I know because if there was I would have been snogging Shay."

"We'd just gathered the Basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets… I suppose we kind of kissed each other. Harry almost had a heart attack. He said that it was about time."

"I told you we'd been anticipating it for years. Even Shay. And he's oblivious."

"No he's not." Hermione shook her head.

"He is! When it comes to feelings anyway…" Delilah suddenly became shy and picked up her quill. Hermione turned around and rolled her eyes at the sight of Seamus.

"Working hard?"

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Hermione somewhat shrieked.

"I set something on fire, got sent to McGonagall who laughed and told me I could have the rest of the period off."

"Lucky fucker." Delilah mumbled under her breath. She was picking at the feather on her quill.

"You sure you're not Irish? You swear like us." The sandy haired boy dropped down into the large gap beside her but moved closer to see what she was writing. "I should be a curse-breaker. Blowing stuff up could be useful."

"Ron's brother was a curse-breaker." Hermione smiled.

"Yeah, Bill. I met him at the World Cup and after the Battle."

"The World Cup was fun. Until the Death Eaters showed up." Delilah commented with a slight grimace as she remembered trying to flee the havoc.

"That was a pretty shit year."

"No year has been very good."

"Not for you, Hermione. You've been involved in everything 'cause of Harry."

"I could have left if I wanted, Shay. He didn't want us to go hunting for Horcruxes with him." Hermione smiled as she remembered the many conversations surrounding the topic. "My life has been exciting, to say the least."

"I admire you so much Hermione." Delilah told her friend."

"Please don't," Hermione shook her head, "There's nothing to admire."

"You're kidding me right? You're the brightest witch of our age, you hold your head high despite what people say 'bout you. Not once did you dumb yourself down to get Ronald. You helped take down _Voldemort_ for Merlin's sake."

"But you did, too!"

"I don't remember destroying horcruxes."

"You've been in an exceptional mood since coming back." Seamus stopped their conversation with is loud remark, "Nev told me how you were saying how proud you were of him and Dean, not ripping on Smith or Parkinson when you had the chance, Hermione right now… And did you or did you _not_ have a conversation with _Blaise Zabini_ about Quidditch the other day?" Seamus was looking at her curiously, analysing the features of her face, "What have you done with Dee?"

"I've decided that my negativity towards people died with Voldemort."

"Are you going to talk to Lav then?" he asked as pushed his hair out of his face.

"She has to forgive me first. I as good as called her a slag."

"Ouch."

"I know," she said dully because he was taking Lavender's side, "Not my best moment."

They stopped the conversation as Hermione took note of the time and said they had to move or risk being late for the next class.

"I have Alchemy; I'll see you two in Defence, yeah?" Delilah asked Seamus and Hermione.

"I'll walk with you; it's on my way to Muggle Studies." Seamus stood up and followed her through the Portrait hole, with Hermione on his tail.

"I have Runes so I have to head the other way. Try not to blow anything up, Shay." Hermione said to the Irish boy who drew his shoulders back and said nobly,

"I will do _no_ such thing." Neither of the girls was sure he meant he would do no such thing as trying not to, or that he would definitely not be blowing anything up in Muggle Studies.

Shay and Delilah walked to the staircase in silence until Delilah spoke up with a small, embarrassed smile on her face.

"I think I invented a spell over the summer."

"No way."

"I did! It's not great, but it's a start."

"You have to show me!"

"Okay, but it depends on how angry you are when you cast it as to how well it actually works…" Delilah pulled out her wand and pointed it at the back of an unsuspecting fourth year. Out of nowhere a rain cloud appeared over the young girl's head and she screamed as the rain came into contact with her skin.

"That's brilliant." Seamus said instantly, "That's wonderful. What the hell was that?"

"The length of time the rain cloud is there depends on how angry the caster is… I think it should be gone in a minute because I wasn't angry… But Hoot," Delilah's young Western Screech Owl, "royally pissed me off once and it rained on the poor thing for an hour…"

"You're a genius. You're an actual genius."

"I-I'm not." Delilah stuttered, "I-I just wanted to create a Charm because it's the only thing I'm good at and I wanted to be better."

"You should show Flitwick. He'd be able to sort out the kinks and all that…" Seamus threw his arm around his friend's shoulders and gave her a friendly squeeze. "Can you teach me what the spell is?"

"No. I won't. Not until all the kinks are sorted. You'll turn it into a lightning cloud and set the whole school on fire."

"Alright," Seamus conceded, "When it's sorted out then. I'd like to drown Smith."


	7. Blaise

**Author's Note:** How's it going? I'm going to say this right now; I just started year 12 so I can't guarantee frequent or regular updates… But thank you for the reviews I've received as well as the alerts and everything, they make my day!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven: Blaise<p>

* * *

><p>Delilah heard it all over the next few weeks. People were worrying about her because she'd decided to befriend Blaise Zabini. It wasn't her fault that Professor Trinity had given the Alchemy class a seating plan and put her next to him – also preventing her from sitting with Dean. They'd started talking and she realised that he wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be. He was quiet and reserved. He never really did much.<p>

"_He's not a good person._" Hermione had scolded one morning, "He was on Voldemort's side last year!"

"He was not!" Delilah defended, "He doesn't have that bloody mark on his arm, does he? He just didn't want to get killed. I'm sure if you were living in a place as hostile as Slytherin you'd be the same way."

"She's right you know," Luna said in a quiet voice.

"Who is?" Hermione questioned with a raise of her brow.

"Delilah. Blaise has never proved himself to be evil. Just misguided." Delilah smiled kindly at the blonde before turning to the brunette with a look that could only mean 'I told you so'.

"I still don't trust him. He was friends with _Malfoy_ for Merlin's sake!"

"And? Malfoy was a coward! He was only a Death Eater because him and his parents were doing it because they were _scared_."

"And Blaise was just as scared? You're making no sense! How can you hate Malfoy but think Zabini's as good as gold?" Hermione almost yelled over Gryffindor's table in the Great Hall. The attention of everyone nearby was now on the three girls.

"I'm giving people second chances, Hermione." Delilah whispered to her friend, "Can we stop this please? I'd quite like to keep you as a friend."

"I'm not the only one, Dee. The others are concerned, too." Hermione rose to her feet and gestured for Delilah to follow her because they had gained an audience.

"Concerned?" The Charms whiz shook her head and spoke when they were in the Entrance Hall, "I'm bloody well old enough to judge for myself who is a good person. I'm giving Smith a second chance, aren't I? And he's been a prat to our bloody faces."

"But he's harmless, Delilah." Hermione touched the witch's shoulder, "We just don't want you to get hurt."

"You're acting like I'm _in love_ with the guy – and all of you know that that bloody well isn't true." She walked away from Hermione and called over her shoulder, "I have Creatures! I'll see you in break!"

Hermione waved pathetically at her friend before ascending the staircase to go to Arithmancy.

* * *

><p>"Hey Nev, how've you been? I spoke to Luna this morning. Briefly. She took my side in a small debate with Hermione. She's not around much. I suppose she's with Ginny most of the time. It's Hogsmeade next weekend. I'm so excited. I've missed Hogsmeade trips. I can't wait to get to Honeydukes. Some rock candy would be nice. I can finally get into the Hogs Head! Oh, maybe I'll order a firewhiskey! Then again, I'm not too goo-"<p>

"Nervous about class with Lav?"

"You have no idea." Neville threw his arm around his cousin's shoulder, "You've had classes between now and then."

"And I was worst last week. She hates me! She's me best friend, Nev!"

"One: stop talking like Seamus – and two: she'll come around." Delilah mumbled something that sounded like _'I do not talk like Shay_' but it was ignored. Hagrid stood tall outside of his rebuilt house with an irremovable smile on his face.

"Come on, come on!"

"_What the **bloody hell** is **that**_?" Pavarti screeched as she saw what was inside the huge, glass case beside the teacher.

"Right, I was goin' ta wait for the class to be settled… But since you can all see tha creature… This is a Nogtail!"

"It looks like the devil!" Delilah shouted before she could contain herself.

"Uh, yeah. It's no' tha bes' lookin' creature… Bu' they're bloody interestin'." Hagrid began to explain everything he could about Nogtails, but Delilah was hardly paying attention. She was cowering behind her cousin as well as looking over to Lavender to see if the latter was okay. The blonde was paying absolutely no attention to Delilah – or the Nogtails – as she was too engrossed in a conversation with Pavarti.

* * *

><p>On the way to History of Magic, Delilah felt eyes on the back of her head. Last year just the thought of someone watching her would have had her reaching into her pocket for her wand, but she no longer had to worry. As such, she turned around and smiled upon seeing Blaise Zabini walking towards her.<p>

"Hey Dee." He nodded to her.

"I still don't get a smile?" she asked with a small one of her own, "I'll crack you, Zabini."

"I'd like to see you try." He was using a slight joking tone and Delilah was glad that he was at least capable of that.

"Delilah!" Hermione called out, running past and grabbing her arm and pulling her away from her new friend."What did we talk about? _This morning_?"

"I've already told you that he's not a bad person! If he _was_ would he be speaking to _me_?"

"I don't want you to get into trouble, Dee. That's all."

"Thanks, Hermione. I appreciate the thought but I'm quite capable of judging who I can be friends with. As I told you _this morning_. Jesus, Granger! You can't _always_ be right! Life is a whole lot different to school." The Longbottom snapped without even thinking. "Leave me to be friends with who I want to be!"

"Fine. Just know that you might not have many if you keep getting angry with people. First Lav and now me. You'll lose everyone if you fight for that scum."

"Scum?" Delilah asked with a slight, sarcastic laugh, "They used to call you that, remember? But you aren't. We gave you a chance."

During their argument, they had walked into the classroom and everyone had begun to stare at them. The girls' mouths were hanging open and the guys were wondering if the fight was going to get physical. Everyone quickly turned away when Delilah broke out of her trance, shouting that she was going to sit with Blaise.

"So," Blaise spoke slowly with a raise of his eyebrow, "That about me?"

"Sorry."

"I'm used to girls fighting over me… Not quite in that way, though." He commented, glancing around Delilah to see Hermione, with a rock hard expression on her face, sitting next to Hannah Abbott.

"If it makes you feel any better, Luna doesn't have a problem with you."

"The one person who has a legitimate reason to."

"_You_? Oh please, no. Don't tell me that now." Delilah mumbled into her hands, trying to keep her breathing regulated, "If I just lost one of my last friends to defend you… Only to find out that it's _you_ who's been messing with Luna all these years."

"No, just the name calling. Promise."

"That's not any better." Delilah took a deep breath and slouched down in her seat.

"I apologised. To Luna. She accepted it." Blaise smiled a very _small_ smile but Delilah smiled back at him widely.

"I cracked Blaise Zabini. I think I'm the winner in this whole situation."

The boy just shook his head and looked up as Professor Binns floated through the wall.


	8. Rain

**Author's Note:** Update! I should be doing homework… But, yeah. This happens instead.

Also, this is for Lucile. She is French and is still reading my story! Salut, Lucile! Mon français est terrible mais je l'apprends à mon lycée… Donc, je veux dire merci pour lire mon histoire !

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven:<em> Rain<em>

* * *

><p>Delilah looked up as a figure emerged from the portrait hole late on Friday night. It was one instantly recognisable.<p>

"Dean," she spoke, startling the boy, "Why are you just getting in?"

"Merlin, Dee! You almost scared the magic out of me!" Delilah laughed at his choice of words.

"You're the only person I know who says that."

"Considering I thought I was a muggle born forever, I live in constant fear of waking up without any powers." he sat down beside her on the long couch, pulling the novel from her hands. "Destiny." he read the title and threw it back at his friend.

"It's about a witch being forced to live a muggle life because her husband doesn't know she's capable of magic."

"Cliché."

"Not entirely. It's not like other stories where the witch uses magic when her other half's not around... She's actually trying to be a muggle."

"I know what it's about, Dee. We're studying it in Muggle Studies."  
>"Shouldn't you be studying <em>muggle<em> literature?"

"Teacher didn't think it was fair that I had the background knowledge," Dean kicked his feet up so they were right next to Delilah. "So we're studying both at once. Why are you reading it?"

"I thought it'd be interesting."

"I never thought you'd be one to read books." Dean commented and Delilah kicked him in the side. He clutched it in pain, "Ouch! Merlin, Dee!"

"Don't insult me." the witch mumbled.

She opened her book again and started to read. It took a few minutes for Dean to speak again.  
>"Hermione told me about you and Blaise."<p>

"Oh, the friendship that no one agrees with?" Dee slammed her book shut, "Look, Dean, I love you but I do /not/ need any help choosing my friends. Right now I'll take whoever I can get." she took a deep breath and stood up, "Blaise is a good guy."

"I never said he wasn't."

"You're thinking it. Like everyone else." she stood at the bottom of the staircase and sighed, "Just _please_ let me live my life."

-  
>"We need to get people back on her side, Nev. We haven't even been back a month and she's losing her mates... It's getting to her."<p>

"I know." Neville said to Dean, "I just don't think she should be hanging 'round with him."

"That's the problem. We shouldn't be telling her who she can be friends with. Or not hanging out with her because she's friends with Blaise."

"I'm not meaning to." Neville sighed, "I've been so busy with Head Boy stuff that I've barely even spent anytime with Luna."

"Try and talk to her - Dee, I mean - because she really needs to know that you're on her side."  
>"Of course I'm on her side, where would I be without her?" Neville stood up from the Gryffindor table, "I'm going to find her now."<p>

"Wait for me." Dean shoved the rest of his toast in his mouth and hurried after the Head Boy. As soon as he walked out of the Great Hall he saw Neville with his arms wrapped around someone. He walked closer and upon seeing the bushy black hair, he quickened his pace.

"-do that to me?" Delilah asked her cousin in a whimper. "She knows how I feel about him."  
>"I know, Dee. I know."<p>

"What's going on?" Dean asked, helping Neville move the girl to the stairs so she could sit down.  
>"Uh..." Neville trailed off. "Did you know that Shay was going to ask Lav out?"<p>

"He did what now?" Delilah started to sob even harder. Dean looked at Neville who stared at him with a deadly glare. "I swear on my magical powers that I didn't know!"

"She said 'yes', Dean..." Delilah whimpered, "I know I was a bitch but you don't do that to people..." he wasn't sure how to react so he sat down beside her in silence. They were in the path of the other students but not one of them was bothered by the abusive language that was thrown their way. That was until Lavender came down the stairs with a huge smile on her face.

"You'll get run over if you stay there much longer. The 7th and 8th year boys are on their way down." Delilah raised her head as she heard the voice of her once best friend. She tried to rise to her feet but her cousin kept her on the staircase.

As quickly and subtly a she could, Delilah reached for her wand and aimed it at Lavender.  
>Before anyone could think about stopping her, the sky's had opened up over the witch's head. Thunder boomed and lightening lit up the entrance hall. Though Lavender was the only thing getting wet.<br>Parvati was trying frantically to shield the rain with her arms but she remained dry as the water passed through her as if she were a ghost.

"What happened?" Eyes turned to Seamus as he appeared at the top of the staircase. Delilah looked immediately at her feet once she realized he was staring right at her. "Counter it." he ordered but she made no effort to move. "Delilah. Counter it."

"I can't." she told him, her voice cracking. "She's going to have to wait it out."  
>"How long?" he asked her, his attempts to get closer to her foiled but his best friend and her cousin.<p>

"I'm not sure." she answered without any emotion in her voice.

"What do you mean how long?" Neville asked and Seamus began to explain the workings of Dee's charm - that the duration of the rain depended entirely on the mood of the caster. Neville and Dean both knew that Lavender would have her own personal rain cloud for an hour - if not more - but no one was going to tell that to Seamus.

"Have you talked to Flitwick about it, yet?"

"No." she responded simply. The Irishman turned to his girlfriend and pouted upon seeing the tears pouring down her scarred face.

"You'll have to wait it out, Lav." Lavender sobbed loudly, storming off – the rain cloud obviously following her – with Parvati in tow.

"Aren't you going with your girlfriend?" Dean asked him casually. Seamus blushed slightly and moved closer to his best friend.

"Who told you?" Dean pointed to Delilah who was trying to pick fluff off of her skirt because looking up meant Seamus would see that she'd been crying. "And Lavender told you, right Dee?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, "Couldn't shut up about it."

"Of course." Seamus was smiling somewhat proudly that he had elicited such a reaction from Lavender, "I was on my way down here to tell you all."

"Thanks for telling me beforehand, man." Dean stood up with a smile on his face, "Congrats man." He was going to add _I know how long you've wanted to ask her out_ but thought better of it considering they were in Delilah's presence. She pretended to not care about the conversation they were having when in reality it was breaking her apart.


	9. Hogsmeade I

**Author's Note:** Wow, it's been way too long! I've been trying to update but it's been really hard. I hope this is enough to satisfy you until the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p>Chapter Nine: Hogsmeade I<p>

Over the next few days, Delilah found herself struggling to maintain the façade of happiness. When no one was watching she moped around, dragging her feet with a scowl on her face. As soon as someone looked at her however, she pretended to be fine and act as normally as she could. Lavender was still giving her evil side glances – Delilah was returning them without a second thought – and that meant that Padma was also ignoring her. After their argument, Hermione had avoided the dormitory as best she could instead choosing to spend her time in the library with Ginny. This left Delilah in the company of Luna, Dean and Neville. Seamus didn't have time for anyone one other than Lavender it seemed.

The first trip to Hogsmeade was less than twenty four hours away and the third years would not let anyone forget that. The young students were annoying the older ones, asking numerous questions about Honeydukes and The Three Broomsticks. There were of course the students who had been to Hogsmeade with their parents. They were the kings of Third Year. They had all the information on every single store in the small village and drank in their new found fame.

"We really can't have been that pathetic." Delilah grumbled as a passing third year asked her and Luna about Madame Puddifoot's. "He can't have a girlfriend, he's, like, two."

"I think it's endearing," Luna said with a dreamy smile, "They're all so excited. It's infectious." Delilah supposed her friend was true and just went along with her bubbly nature.

"How's Nev going?" she asked about her cousin, "I haven't had five minutes with him in weeks."

"Oh, he's incredibly busy. I didn't ever think being Head Boy was going to take up so much of his time." Luna sighed but quickly regained her bubbly disposition. "It has given me plenty of time to do research for _The Quibbler_."

"Yeah," Delilah nodded, "When's the next issue out?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow." Luna smiled proudly, "It's going to be _ever so exciting_!"

"It always is."

"The next issue contains an article my father wrote on how to avoid having Nargles take over your brain. It's going to be incredibly helpful." Luna informed the raven haired witch who was still snarling at third years.

"Good work!" Delilah said suddenly, taking in what her blonde friend had said before shaking her head, "Don't they only hang around mistletoe?"

"That's what they want you to believe," Luna laughed lightly at Delilah's stupidity. Delilah thought nothing of the laughing. "Oh! There's Neville!" Luna pointed down the hall at a tall figure that was approaching the two of them.

"Oi! Head Boy!" Delilah shouted at the top of her lungs causing her cousin to stop in place and look around for the owner of the voice. "Over here tosser!"

"Delilah," Luna scolded, "There are children present." Delilah shrugged at Luna.

"I don't care, Lun." Delilah said as she turned her back and slightly rolled her eyes. There were times when Delilah wished that her blonde friend would not be so weary of the younger children.

Neville walked over to us and pressed his lips to Luna's. Delilah looked away for a split second, wondering why on earth her friend wasn't weary about passing on the habit of making out in the corridors to the other students.

"You two have plans for Hogsmeade?" Delilah was curious, even though she hated being asked herself. She was yet to attain a date and she had never had a boyfriend before, so Hogsmeade had always included a trip to Honeydukes and then off to The Three Broomsticks for a quick butterbeer before trudging back up to the castle to catch up on some sleep.

"We're going to sit in front of the Shrieking Shack," Neville said, a small pained look on his face. "Luna wants to remain in touch with the nature."

"That's nice," she said kindly though she could not imagine a worse place for a date. She made a mental decision to try and move all of the single people into the Hogshead so she could catch up with Aberforth and the group as a whole could celebrate the single life. The life she hated but was forced to enjoy.

* * *

><p>"I guess it's just us two." Dean appeared beside Delilah unexpectedly as she walked through the streets of Hogsmeade.<p>

"As the only single people in our year, I think you'd be right."

"Blaise is single, isn't he?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

"I thought you were best mates." Dean said in a bitter tone. Delilah chose to ignore him, though.

"I thought I was best mates with Lav," she looked down at her hands, "I don't think I have one. Luna, maybe."

"We could be best mates." Dean said, putting his arm over her shoulder.

"You have Shay." Dee laughed lightly, pulling on Dean's hand and stretching his arm.

"He's spending all his time with Lav, now. We've both been replaced!" he exclaimed dramatically. "How about it? You and me, best mates?"

Delilah gripped his hand tighter and looked up at him. She was by no means short but Dean was quite above the average height for a boy his age and as such he towered over her.

"So, how about I shout my new best mate a butterbeer?" she asked him cheekily, knowing full well that he was going to change that order to a firewhiskey.

The Hogshead was full of people who had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and Delilah decided that it felt a lot like home. She'd spent so much time with these people in the Room of Requirement in the past year that they may as well be family.

Once they'd sat down in an old, tattered booth with their drinks (a butterbeer for Delilah and a firewhiskey for Dean), Delilah stared at Dean sadly.

"What?"

"I can't believe what we've been through." She mumbled to herself, "You scared me so much."

"We don't… We don't have to talk about it, Dee."

"No," she shook her head, "We _do_ because I don't know what happened. We've told you what happened at school but we don't know what you went through. You shouldn't have to deal with that yourself."

"It's fine. I was just on the run, it's not a big deal." He shrugged it off but Delilah was persistent in her badgering.

"That's not _good enough_! What you went through is just a big a deal as what _everyone else_ went through! Stop being so stubborn!"

"Why do you care?" he snapped at her, pushing his chair back abruptly and standing up.

"Because we're _best friends_, remember? That's what friends do! They care!" she copied his movements, following him out of the bar. Their drinks remained barely touched on the table.


	10. Hogsmeade II

**Author's Note:** Anywho, I've just graduated high school… Yay for me!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p>Chapter Ten: Hogsmeade II<p>

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><p>Delilah trudged behind her friend, his long strides giving him a more than decent head start.<p>

"Merlin's Pants, Dean!" she called out, causing an elderly witch to lift her head and tut. Delilah shook it off and quickened her pace. "Stop right now Dean Thomas!" However, he did not turn. He continued walking back up the path to the school.

"Oi! Dean, you git!" Delilah stopped at an instant, the Irish accent ringing through her ears. "She's trying to talk to ya!"

"She being the crup's mother." Delilah muttered under her breath, shaking her head. She spotted Lavender by Seamus' side and she suddenly didn't feel like thanking him for his help. Delilah turned to look at Dean, silently pleading with him to speak to her – if not to tell her what had happened when he was running from Snatchers, but to spare her having to look at Lavender latching onto Seamus' arm.

"Yeah, right." Dean walked back to the raven haired girl, looking down at her with a sigh. "Let's go to Honeydukes, 'kay? As long as you drop it." Without another glance at her long time crush and his girlfriend, Delilah stepped forward and in the directions of Honeydukes, her eyes watching her boots make small puddles in the wet ground.

The rain had started when they were sitting in the Hog's Head but had ceased before Dean's abrupt exit, it had left puddles everywhere and the ground being pure slush. Delilah's hand found the crook of Dean's elbow as she manoeuvred around the larger puddles.

"Seamus said he was looking for you," Luna said as she appeared beside the two Gryffindors. "Did he find you? It sounded rather important."

"He didn't mention anything." Delilah answered abruptly, already wanting the encounter out of her mind. "I just want some sweets." She thanked Dean as he reached forward to open the shop's door before she pulled him in behind her.

"What were you after?" he questioned and she turned around to look at him, a sour smile on her face.

"Don't think you're getting away with it that easily," she snapped at him. "You're lucky Seamus inadvertently saved your arse."

"What do you want, Dee?" he pressed and she shrugged.

"Why?"

"I'll get it." He offered, pulling some gold galleons from his pocket. Delilah looked down at his hand with wide eyes and smirked.

"You shouldn't have shown me that." She said, a huge smile gracing her elegant face. "Now I'm going to buy some of everything."

While, she may have been slightly exaggerating, she did manage to buy more than she had intended. As she pushed through the other Hogwarts' students, she placed handfuls of Ice Mice, Fizzing Whizzbees, Jelly Slugs, Cauldron Cakes, Sugared Butterfly Wings, Liquorice Wands, Sugar Quills, Chocoballs, Banana flavoured Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and a box of Pink Coconut Icefor good measure.

Dean watched in amusement as she placed all of her sweets onto the counter without any thought. She was never one to care who thought she was being an Occamy, and this trip to Honeydukes only solidified that fact.

"Do you have enough?" she looked up at Dean hopefully and he nodded with a laugh. "Where'd you get all this money from?"

"Mum got a new job that pays a lot more, so she gave me some extra money for Hogsmeade trips."

"You're so lucky." Delilah picked up the large brown paper bags and followed Dean out of the store – his large stature made it easy for him to push through the other kids. "Dad earns bugger all at Eeylops."

Again, Delilah's hand found Dean's elbow and they walked back through Hogsmeade, heading towards the bridge that would take them back to the castle. Halfway back to the school, Delilah felt another presence beside her and when she turned to her left, she noticed that she had to look up as much as she did with Dean. There only two other people she knew who were that tall. And her cousin was still sitting outside Honeydukes with Luna.

"Afternoon, Blaise." She smiled at her newest friend. Dean nodded silently in Blaise's direction after Delilah squeezed his elbow.

"What have you got there?" Delilah held up the paper bags that read _Honeydukes_ on them in cursive.

"Enough sweets to last me the whole year." She smiled happily, "They should be gone by the end of the week." Both the boys chuckled and she felt genuinely happy for the first time in weeks. Seamus and Lavender were far from her mind and she was yet to witness Dean hex Blaise into oblivion.

"I hadn't heard anything about you two dating." Blaise said casually and Delilah's eyes widened to twice their usual size.

"No, no. Merlin's beard, we aren't dating." Delilah said quickly.

"Could have fooled me. You looked awfully cosy all day." Despite the cool wind, Delilah felt her cheeks heat up and she hastily removed her hand from Dean's arm and shook her head.

Her good mood was ruined as quickly as it had arrived. Seamus entered her head and she feared that he, too, might think she and Dean were dating. Dean and Blaise kept talking over her head, Dean assuring Blaise that he hadn't been in a steady relationship since he and Ginny had ended theirs two years prior. Delilah briefly heard of a summer fling but due to the whole destruction of his seventh year, there hadn't been much time for relationships. She was thankful when Blaise began to tell Dean about his love life; it was entirely non-existent. Normally Delilah would have taken any opportunity to pry into his life to get to know more about him but she couldn't bring herself to do so.

The castle appeared in front of them and she ran into the courtyard instantly, knocking over a few second years as she ran up the stairs and continued through the halls.

"NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!" She briefly heard Filch scream at her but she was hardly going to stop.

"Dee!" Dean shouted up at her from the ground floor – she was already on the third and making her way towards the next staircase.

Dean was a bit torn up. Delilah had seemed offended at Blaise's accusations and he was unsure how to take it. He didn't know if she offended about the dating _him_ part or maybe she actually fancied Blaise himself and needed to make sure that Blaise knew she was single. Either way, Dean was hurt.

* * *

><p>"I'm not dating Dean." Delilah said breathlessly as she stood in front of the Fat Lady.<p>

"Wonderful dear. Password?"

"Pomegranate." The Fat Lady swung open and Delilah ran inside, seeing Hermione sitting in front of the fire. "I'm not dating Dean."

"Pardon?" Hermione asked tiredly.

"Dean, I'm not dating him." Delilah repeated herself with a deep breath. "Does Shay think we're dating? Shay can't think we're dating."

"I don't know, Dee. I'm trying to finish this essay." Putting her bags down on the table, Delilah sat down in the armchair and drew her knees to her chin. "He's dating Lav."

Delilah nodded in understanding. She pulled out her wand and waved it around quietly, a string of lights appearing from the end. She made shapes in the air, each one disappearing after thirty seconds.

"In the name of Merlin's most baggy y-fronts." Dean huffed out as he finally entered the common room. The younger students stared at him confused though Hermione looked up at him with a light shrug. "Dee, what was that?"

"I don't want Shay to think I have a boyfriend." She admitted to him quietly and he breathed out roughly before breathing in quickly.

He shook his head, put a hand on her for a moment and then walked away, moving up the staircase.

"You need to start thinking before you act, Delilah."

"I know, Hermione. I know."


	11. Chameleon

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the alerts, favourites and the reviews (_Cheerfully Blue_ and _punkrockpancake_ – also the random anon who wants me to get quicker at updating). Yay!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p>Chapter Eleven: Chameleon<p>

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><p>Charms made Delilah feel happy, the subject made her feel like she was good for something other than perpetually pining over Seamus Finnigan. She sat in her usual seat and waited for Professor Flitwick to begin the class. She sat between Neville and Blaise as they were the only two people still speaking to her. Dean had started to ignore her after her stunt on the way back from Hogsmeade and Hermione had promptly gone back to snubbing Delilah.<p>

"Everybody, essays on your desks!" rustling echoed around the room and was followed by people slamming their hands on their desks. Professor Flitwick raised his wand, twitched it and watched calmly as a dozen stacks of paper flew towards him. "Wonderful! I will have these back to you by the end of the week! I trust that they _are_ all written on Portkeys and not anything else – _Mr. Finnigan_."

Seamus winked and gave Professor Flitwick a thumbs up as the class laughed at his stupidity, all trying to supress the memory. It had been in the previous year when Flitwick had given his students the task of writing on the knitting spell (as The Carrows had forbid anything of use being taught in the school) and Seamus, who had been particularly angry that week, wrote about his intense hatred for the Death Eaters and their treatment of the Hogwarts students. It had been quite rebellious and liberal and the Irishman had been praised greatly for it.

"We will today commence our work on Disillusionment Charms! I'm sure you've all tried your fair share of these over the past year and I can only apologise that I could not teach you them sooner, however, better late than never!"

Delilah picked her quill off the desk and placed the end in her mouth, rejoicing in the sweet taste causing her tastebuds to celebrate. She knew the incantation off by heart - _chamaeleontis murum, _which translated to 'chameleon wall' – and could make herself disappear in an instant and nonverbally. Half the class knew the spell. Harry had managed to teach it to them during their DA meetings and it had been a staple in hiding from the Carrows – or attempting to hide, as the Death Eaters were able to smell fear and thus counteract the charm.

The witch didn't bother raising her hand when Flitwick asked who knew the incantation; everyone knew that she had perfected it and she wasn't in the mood to show off. The reference to their previous year had her thinking back to the Battle, it had only been a matter of months and one thing continued to eat her. She was unable to shake the memory of being unable to produce a Patronus especially when she had been up to the Room of Requirement to practice the spell and even then been unsuccessful. Originally she had assumed that the Dementors were the reason behind her failed attempts, but when she was unable to produce one even in their absence, she knew something was wrong.

"- the single lesson, we shall begin the theory for Disillusionment charms, and in our next double class we shall have a go at creating Portkeys!" the class buzzed with excitement but was soon subdued when told to turn to page 189 to begin reading on Disillusionment charms.

"You'd think this pretty easy, wouldn't you?" Blaise leant over and spoke right into her ear, causing Delilah to take a deep breath and shrug.

"Perfected it." She said carelessly, "I think I know everything they're going to teach this year."

"Good, you can help me." The witch nodded half-heartedly and stared at her book, the spine was barely intact after having been dropped so often and the cover was losing colour because it was second hand. She compared this to Blaise's, his was in perfect condition and she chomped hard into her sugar quill in frustration. "You alright there?"

"Fine."

"You seem angry – pissed. Is it to do with Dean?"

"Why would it have anything to do with him?" she snapped at the Slytherin.

"Just haven't seen you speak to him in a while." He raised his hand to show that he meant to harm.

"If you hadn't noticed, not many people are speaking to me right now."

"Why is that?"

"Because I'm a bitch?" she asked back, knowing all too well that was the reason behind her suddenly having no friends.

Blaise pried no more; instead he opened his book and began to read what he had to.

Class finished soon after and Delilah took her time leaving, feeling herself being knocked around by the other students eager to get to lunch. She slowly pushed her books into her book bag and turned around; finally ready to leave the Charms classroom.

"What's up with you, today?" she was standing face-to-face with her cousin.

"What do you mean?" she asked him as she passed him.

"You're moping around worse than Filch." Delilah turned to Neville and shook her head at him.

"That was uncalled for." She turned around and continued towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Seriously, why so upset for? Seamus?"

"I- what? No. It's not him, surprisingly." She sighed and slowed down her pace, "It's just that _Dean_ isn't speaking to me. I must have fucked up pretty bad if _Dean_ isn't speaking to me."

"Yeah," Neville agreed, "You must have messed up really bad."

"Thanks, Nev." Delilah mumbled under her breath.

"Everyone will come around! They're your best friends; don't worry about it, okay?"

"Maybe I'll just become a chameleon. Just forever blend in with my surroundings and no one will have to worry about me."


	12. Revelations

**Author's Note: **Many thanks to _Ergelina, ForeverTeamEdward13 _and _Cheerfully Blue_ for their kind words! And sorry that the chapters aren't very long, this is just the length I've always written my updates to be and if they get much longer they tend to go on forever with pointless rambling.

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve:<strong> Revelations

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><p>Delilah curled up into her usual arm chair located near the fire. The sun had long gone down and all of the students at disappeared up the stairs to their dormitories. She had been going to bed later and later as her roommates had been doing the same and she felt increasingly awkward around them. This particular Friday night, it had struck half eleven and Lavender had just reappeared from the boys' staircase – her hair tussled and top askew – and scuttled across the Common Room meaning that Delilah was in for a late night.<p>

"_Avis."_ Delilah said quietly – two smooth bumps from left to right with her wand – wincing as her wand emitted a loud bang and a cloud of smoke but she smiled when from the smoke emerged half a dozen small birds of varying colour.

"The blue ones are me favourite." A voice said suddenly causing Delilah to jump violently and the birds to fly into the air, four of them hitting the ceiling while the other two chirped in sorrow.

"Fuck it, Shay." The witch swore, flicking her wand to call the other two birds back. The Irishman sat down on the floor opposite her, pulling out his wand.

"_Avis_." He spoke moving his wand in the same movements she had moments before. Three birds shot out the end of his wand with the familiar bang and smoke. "Why do you get six?" he asked, making the birds circle around her head.

"Because I'm good at Charms." She said slowly and quietly, paying close attention to the yellow bird as it started to do tricks in front of her eyes. "Lav came down late."

"Uh, yeah. We were studying." Shay said, not looking at Delilah's face but at the birds he was bringing back towards him.

"You don't have to lie to me."

"Fine, we were messing about." He revealed and unknowingly put a knife through his friend's heart. "Why are you still down here?"

"Because all the girls hate me. It's easier just to go up when they're all asleep." She told him, again watching the yellow bird. She held out her wand, two smooth bumps from left to right, "_Avis_." Six birds flew from her wand, instantly beginning to interact with those from Seamus'.

"I still don't understand why Lavender hates you."

"I called her a slag." Delilah said quickly and effortlessly, Lavender was the last person she was worried about talking to. They may have been best friends but Lavender had – in Delilah's eye – betrayed her far worse than she herself had been betrayed.

Seamus laughed. Delilah had expected him to do many things, defend his girlfriend, accuse Delilah of being insensitive, walk away, attack her with the birds, but she had not expected him to laugh. It wasn't even an ordinary laugh; he threw his head back, clutched his stomach and laughed for a good few minutes.

"She kind of is."

"She's your girlfriend!" Delilah exclaimed, utterly horrified that he was saying such things. "Seamus!"

"What? She's my girl but that doesn't change the fact that she's a bit of a slag. Always has been."

"She knows that, too," Delilah changed her mood from horrified to annoyed, "But she took it to heart and now we aren't speaking. I'm not going to apologise."

"So that explains Lavender, what about everyone else? Hate to say it, Dee, but you might just be the least popular person in Gryffindor."

Delilah watched her birds fraternize with Seamus, two of them even getting particularly cosy.

"Well, Parvati took her side and Hermione doesn't like that I'm friends with Blaise and Dean hates me because I was a bit quick to tell Blaise that we weren't dating. And I probably came off as a bit offended that he would even think that."

Seamus laughed again and Delilah couldn't help but crack a smile. She may have been feeling extremely lonely lately, but her situation was pretty funny.

"And _you_ spend no time with me because you're always with Lav."

"I know why Dean's taken that so personally." Seamus said absentmindedly.

"Enlighten me." Delilah asked casually as to not seem like she was prying even if it was exactly what she was doing.

"He's been in love with you since fourth year."

"But..." Delilah breathed out, she lost focus of her magic and the birds fell to the ground, bursting into thin air as they did so. "_Ginny_." She said as she remembered his relationship during his fifth year.

"We all thought he'd gotten over you for a while there but turns out he hadn't."

Feeling suddenly cold, Delilah looked to the fire and noticed that it was slowly burning out, so she pointed her wand at it and instantaneously it grew.

"How does that come as a shock? Everyone knew." Seamus revealed and Delilah shrugged lightly, "Honestly, Dee. You're oblivious."

She didn't laugh despite how much she wanted to. She wanted to laugh at him and tell him how silly he was being, that he was the oblivious one. But it didn't matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't. For years she had gone to Dean and complained about Seamus' own obliviousness without at all knowing how her confidant felt about her.

"Why didn't he tell me?" she asked before she could even stop herself. Her mind clouded over, _why haven't I told Shay?_

"Tends to make you look like an idiot unless you know they feel the same." She understood what he was saying because it was the exact reason she hadn't said anything to him about her feelings. "I always thought you'd be great together, you're already best mates why not take it that one step further?"

"I don't know, Shay… I just, I don't think we'd work. Besides, he hates me right now."

"None of them hate you, Dee. I promise." Seamus drew his birds back into his wand and looked at her with a smile. "They're all being stubborn. Just like you have been. Everything will go back to normal eventually, just try a bit harder, maybe?" She glared at him, watching him squirm slightly under her intense gaze, "Or maybe stop hanging around with that tosser Blaise and everything will be back to normal."

She reached behind her and instantly threw the cushion at his head, smiling as it hit him with a small _thud_.

"I'm kidding. I know you aren't going to listen to me tell you about who you should and shouldn't hang out with. I mean, you wouldn't even help me throw insult at Smith."

Delilah stood up from her arm chair and sat down beside her crush. Without much thought, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his body heat and the extra warmth of the blazing fire.

"I love you, Shay." She said with a slight, desperate laugh though he didn't pick up on it.

"I love _you_, Dee."


	13. Christmas

**Author's Note: ** Cheers to _Cheerfully Blue_, _Ergelina, gothic mermaid_ and _XxXBeautifulXxXDreamerXxX_ for being lovely and reviewing! I started Uni on Monday and I can already tell it's going to suck dragon balls, so I'm saying sorry now because it will probably mean less updates. On the other hand, it's a creative writing degree which means that my writing _should_ eventually improve haha

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: Christmas<strong>

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><p>"You decided yet?" Neville questioned, sitting down beside Delilah at Gryffindor's table in the Great Hall.<p>

"Not yet. I'm leaning towards no, though." Delilah pushed some toast into her mouth after she answered.

"Why not?" he pushed and Delilah shrugged, not answering the question. The truth was, Delilah didn't want to spend the holidays with her grandmother, especially after having spent most of the summer with her. If she were able to spend time with her father, she would gladly go home for the holidays but he was going to Australia on an Owl Watching exhibition and wouldn't be home.

"I have a present that I'd like you to give to Gran, for me, though." She said quietly, "I bought it in Hogsmeade. She's going to hate it because it's not extravagant but it's something."

Neville smiled knowingly at his cousin and bit into his toast. Delilah made a disgusted face as she noticed the marmalade atop it. Her toast had been covered with raspberry jam, as always.

"How are me favourite Longbottoms?"

Seamus appeared across the table with a grin on his face. Delilah shrugged again, her mind flicking back to what he had told her about Dean, while Neville grunted between bites of his breakfast.

"Goin' home for Christmas?"

"Nup." Delilah answered shortly.

"Course." Neville supplied immediately after, "You?"

"Mam wants me back. Why aren't you goin' Dee?"

"To spend more time with Gran? I love her, but if I have to listen to her praise Nev anymore I'm going to scream!" she elbowed her cousin to let him know that she was only joking with him.

They chatted away about the upcoming holiday but Delilah stopped when she saw Dean coming towards them. She tried to act normal, but she couldn't after finding out that he liked her. _Loved_ as Seamus had said, but she refused to believe that that was the case.

"Morning." Dean mumbled, still very much half asleep. As the holidays drew nearer, students began going to bed later and later, resulting in everyone looking and acting very similar to zombies.

"Morning." The two boys greeted back, but Delilah put the last of her toast into her mouth to get away without responding.

She hadn't spent any time around him at all since the incident regarding their dating. He hadn't tried to speak to her and she had been avoiding him since her conversation with Seamus, so being so close to him was something Delilah did not fancy.

"I gotta go, I left my essay upstairs." The witch lied before standing up and hastily walking away. She didn't miss the looks given by the boys, but she ignored them and all but ran from the Great Hall.

She was so quick to move around the corner that she didn't see the people walking towards her and collided head on with Lavender.

"Watch it." Lavender snapped and Delilah kept her gaze on the ground. She could use _her_ spell at any moment, but she didn't want Seamus running after her with more questions.

* * *

><p>The halls were void of students by the 20th of December. More families than ever were spending the Christmas break together because they hadn't been able to last year.<p>

Delilah knew that the Nicholson twins in the year below her were going home for Christmas for the first time since they started at Hogwarts. It might not sound like much of a big deal, but their parents were renowned for caring very little about them and spend the Christmas season travelling the world, so for them to be home for Christmas and to invite their children back was mind blowing.

More families spending Christmas together meant fewer students at Hogwarts. This meant that Delilah was one of 13 students remaining at the school.

She hated 11 of the other 12 students – they were either too young or just general twats. The one tolerable student to stay behind was the Head Girl, Hannah Abbott. They had had almost no contact outside of classes in their 7 and a half years, but Delilah didn't much fancy spending 2 weeks by herself in her dorm.

"Weird, huh?" Delilah asked as she sat beside the blonde at breakfast on Christmas Eve, "This place is eerie."

"I've never been here for Christmas before." Hannah marvelled at the food on her plate, "I would be at home with Dad but he's had to go to America."

"Mine's in Australia." Delilah told her new friend, "Why's yours in America?"

"Oh, he's had to do something for the Ministry. He wouldn't tell me what it was… And yours?"

"Owls. He owns Eeylops but before that he provided them with all their owls… He's gone to get them himself. Doesn't trust anyone else to do it."

"You couldn't have gone with him?"

"I'm not an owl catching kind of person." Delilah laughed lightly. "Expecting much for Christmas?"

"Not really. It's just another day." Delilah nodded her head in agreement.

Delilah couldn't understand how such a quiet girl had been chosen as Head Girl. It may have been because Hannah didn't know Delilah very well, but the latter didn't know how that made sense. She couldn't possibly know _all_ the students – there were a thousand of them give or take.

* * *

><p>Christmas morning arrived and Delilah was awake at the unholy hour of half past five. No matter how old she got, she would always wake up early for Christmas. She could have been seen as greedy – it was the presents after all that caused her to wake – but she preferred to think of herself as a child at heart.<p>

She was more than surprised to find the only other Gryffindor to stay for Christmas – a second year boy named Wesley – already awake and sitting underneath the Christmas Tree.

"Merry Christmas, mate." Delilah said as soon as her foot hit the floor of the common room. The boy turned around and beamed at her, his hands slipped under the corner of some wrapping paper. "Let's see what you've got, then!"

She waited as he opened all of his presents – sweets from his friends, a brand new Wizard's Chess set from his parents, a Cleansweep 16 from his dad's grandparents and a camera from his mum's grandparents.

Delilah watched in absolute awe as he opened them all – the moment having been caught on film by Wesley and his new camera. She knew the small pile of presents still left under the tree were for her.

"I can't believe I was bested by a 12 year old." She mumbled to herself as she leaned over to grab the first present.

It was from Seamus - a new charms book and a note reminding her to talk to Flitwick about the kinks of her own charm.

"How bloody boring." Wesley commented.

"I love it." Delilah said with a fluttering heart as she reached for the next present. Gran had given her a new dress, a hint that she needed to be more feminine. "This is bloody boring."

"Agreed!"

Chocolate frogs from Nev, who claimed had she actually told him what she wanted she would have received an actual present. _Blaise_ gave her Sugar Coated Quills with a note that read _Thought you might be running low_. Dean was kind enough to send her an _actual_ quill and ink pot – she was stunned when she realised that the multi-coloured feather was that of a peacock. Her dad had sent a letter along with some galleons so she could treat herself to something from Hogsmeade – she always liked getting money, she would always like what she bought herself.

"Mine were bigger." Wesley said once she had finished opening her gifts and Delilah nodded, conceding defeat. "And you got a book, so that sucks."

"Come on, let's go break in this Wizard's Chess set, yeah?"


	14. Patronus

**Author's Note: ** A bajillion thanks to _ForeverTeamEdward13_ and _BlueberriesAreAwesome_ (whose name is Delilah, awesomely enough) who took the time to review, thank you for the alerts and favourites! Please review and maybe check out my story _La Belette_ which is a collection of drabbles about Dominique Weasley. =D

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen: Patronus<strong>

* * *

><p>"Did you get my present?"<p>

"I did, thanks for that. They'll come in handy. Sorry I didn't get you anything, I wasn't aware we were at Christmas present level."

"Don't worry about it, they were just sugar quills anyhow."

"That's what you think. They're actually a supply of happiness that'll keep me entertained for the next few weeks."

"You go through them fast, don't you?"

"Blaise, you have no idea how addicted I actually am to Sugar Quills." He smiled and Delilah couldn't help but do the same. She had officially cracked Blaise Zabini.

The two students headed to the dungeons from the Great Hall, taking a secret passage to bypass the second years that were just finishing their lesson. As they entered the cold classroom, they went their separate ways – Blaise to stand beside Pansy and Delilah to stand by herself at the back of the room.

All of her 'friends' avoided her when they walked into the room, glancing at her quickly before deciding to stand elsewhere. She was preparing for a lesson of working alone when she felt a presence beside her.

"How were your holidays, Dee?"

"Why would you want to talk to me?"

"You're my friend? Again, how were your holidays?" Delilah stared up at Dean with raised eyebrows. "It's fine, I overreacted. Answer the question."

"My holidays were boring. I made friends with a second year." She told him as he began to open up his textbooks and set up the ingredients. As he did so, Delilah stared at him. Utterly baffled as to why he was acting so normal. She had broken his heart – at least Seamus had said so. He had every reason to be ignoring her. "Thanks for the present." She said suddenly, "It was stunning."

"Are you using it today?" he asked her, peering over to her belongings.

"Merlin, no! It's too pretty to be used for school! I'll use it to write down charms or something." He smiled down at her before setting up the cauldron.

"Welcome back! How were your holidays? Lovely!" Slughorn said quickly, "We'll be getting straight back into it with a burn-healing paste! No doubt Mr Finnigan can tell us all about it."

"Ay, sir!" Seamus agreed with a playful nod and smile.

* * *

><p>By the end of the lesson, Delilah was under the impression that Dean was speaking to her again and they could go back to being friends. Best friends. It was the nagging feeling of knowing how Dean felt that left her hesitant. Every little thing she did she had to make sure Dean wasn't looking at her in a loving way. She had to be sure that everything she did was purely innocent and could not be misconstrued as a sign of reciprocating his feelings. She felt somewhat awkward, though she couldn't show it.<p>

"Talk to Flitwitck?"

"I did." Delilah grinned at Seamus. "He told me that it seems that lightning may be a natural component of the spell if a person is extraordinarily angry."

"What is it then?" the Irishman asked eagerly, "I want to test it."

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" she took a deep breath, "_Compluentum._ And you have to move the want like this. Non-verbal."

"Can I try it on you?" he asked with a cheeky smile and Delilah shook her head vehemently. "Please?! It'll last like a second!"

"You're lucky it's lunch time. The counter is _assicco_ in case you're angrier at me than you think."

She shut her eyes as Seamus held his wand out, pointing it directly at her. Out of nowhere a rain drop hit her nose and before she knew she had her own personal rain cloud soaking her to the core.

"That is so amazing, Dee! We have to tell everyone!" he took a step sidewards, ready to move around her and alert all of the students.

"No!" she latched onto his arm, "We can't have the entirety of Hogwarts walking around under rain clouds! This is for us only, okay?"

"But _Delilah_." He groaned and she shook her head. She didn't like to deny Seamus; a weakness of hers was giving him almost anything he asked for.

"You're going to abuse it enough. I don't need everyone else doing the same thing." A mischievous look lit up Seamus' face and Delilah laughed humourlessly, "I regret it already."

* * *

><p><em>I need a place to be alone.<em> Delilah walked past the plain stone wall._ I need a place to be alone._ She walked past again. _I need a place to be alone._ The third time she did so, a small, wooden door appeared and she hurried inside, slamming the door behind her. She watched as it slowly vanished and she pulled out her wand.

It had started during the Christmas break when she had too much spare time on her hands. Her inability to cast a Patronus charm had never left her mind since the battle and she decided to sort out the kinks while she was able. But the two weeks hadn't been enough

"_Expecto Patronum_!" she shouted loudly, waiting for her nightingale to appear. All she got was a small silver stream. She focused harder on her happy memory - meeting Seamus and finally gaining some courage - and cast the spell again. "_Expecto Patronum_!" but the result was no better.  
>Every memory she had ran through her head but none of them seemed strong enough. Nothing was threatening her and she couldn't think of a memory happy enough to cast a decent patronus.<p>

Everything that happened last year shot through her mind, most of the memories almost bringing her to tears. And then there was one. She took a deep breath and focused solely on that memory.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" out flew the silver bird, flying around the small room and close to her head, causing black hair to go everywhere. "Thank Merlin!" she sighed happily, thankful that she wasn't broken. She shoved her wand into her pocket and ran to the re-emerging door.

"No running in the corridor!" Filch scolded angrily as she ran past his small office. For once, Delilah didn't care. She was focused on her destination.

She ran past various students, the majority of whom were third years enjoying their free time, as she made her way up to Gryffindor Tower. She would usually have been very annoyed when the staircases decided to start moving when she was halfway up, but her mood could not be tarnished and she merely took a detour. At one stage she almost ran into Lavender who scoffed loudly and told her to watch where she was going. Nothing was going to make her slow down.

She reached the Gryffindor Tower breathing louder than she ever had before. Shouting the password at the Fat Lady she scrambled through the hole and groaned in anger when she realised the person she was looking for was not in the common room. Hurriedly she climbed the boys' staircase, not bothering to answer the questions of her cousin who was walking down the stairs.

"Dean!" she threw the heavy door open and heard it crash against the wall. The boy in the room shot up from his seat and cursed.

"What?! What is it?!" he asked her loudly, taking in her breathlessness and the small sweat droplets forming on her forehead.

"You!" she responded instantly, resting her hands on her knees in an attempt to regulate her breathing.

"Me what, Dee?" Dean asked her racking his brains trying to think of what it could possibly be, a small sliver of hope running through his body as was evident by his smile.

"My patronus! It doesn't work when I think of Shay because that's not the happiest moment of my life!" she shouted at him.

"Why are you smiling?"

"'Cause it's you, you lunatic!" she stood up straight and looked him in the eye, "I have never felt happier than when I saw you enter the Room of Requirement last year! I thought you were dead, Dean. I didn't think I'd ever see you again… But then you came into the room!"

"It's me?" he asked her in disbelief, "I'm your happiest memory."

"Yes! What don't you understand?!"

"I don't understand why it isn't Shay!"


	15. Suspicions

**Author's Note: **Long time coming, I know. It's not going to go how many of you think. I promise you this is still very much a Seamus/OC story. Thanks to _Ergelina, ForeverTeamEdward13, Guest, Lol101 _and _hogwartswonderland_ for taking some time to review!

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen: Suspicions<strong>

* * *

><p>"Am I interrupting something?" Delilah's eyes widened and she jumped out of the hug she was sharing with Dean.<p>

"Dee worked out her patronus," Dean told Seamus casually. The sandy haired Irishman turned his confusion into a huge smile.

"That's great! It's about time, too!" Delilah nodded her head slowly, wrapping her arms around her body. "Are you not happy about it?"

"Of course I'm happy! I just wish I'd been able to work it out when I needed to." While not necessarily lying, she was not telling the whole truth. Her solemn attitude was based more on the fact that Dean was her happy memory and she couldn't wrap her head around it.

"How come you told him first?" Seamus asked in a playfully joking tone. He raised his eyebrow and slightly curled his lip to extend the façade of hurt.

"I literally came straight up here... I didn't know he was going to be by himself." Delilah wasn't lying, she had no idea that Dean would be by himself but she had every intention of telling him before anyone else.

"Anyway, I came up to see if Dean was coming down to dinner," Seamus said, pointing at the door.

"Shouldn't you be with Lavender?" Delilah asked. Seamus rolled his eyes and slumped his shoulders at the mention of his girlfriend.

"She's angry about something or other. Gone off with Pav." He shrugged it off and put an arm around his friends' shoulders. "Celebratory dinner on me!"

Dean glanced behind Seamus' head, catching Delilah's attention by tapping her back. He pulled a face at her. She stifled a giggle.

* * *

><p>"What's up with you two?" Seamus asked the next morning at breakfast, pointing at Delilah and Dean. Neville, who was sitting beside the Irishman nodded in agreement.<p>

"You've been acting weird since yesterday," Neville confirmed.

"Have we?" Dean asked, turning to Delilah. They shared an eyebrow furrow and shrug.

"You're happier," a dreamy voice joined the conversation. Luna dropped down beside Neville with a smile on her face. "I like happy Dee."

"Thanks, Luna," Delilah shrugged again, this time in Seamus' direction.

Everyone turned their heads upwards when they heard screeching and flapping. Some students ducked and others raised their hands to receive their mail. Numerous _Daily Prophet_ and _The Quibbler _newspapers were dropped onto the tables along with other letters. Delilah and Neville both received a letter, while Dean reached up to take a newspaper which he spread in front of the group.

"Who's that from?" Neville asked his cousin.

"Dad. That?"

"Gran."

_Delilah,_

_Sorry for the lack of letters I have sent you, it is unfair to send an owl the distance between Australia and London. I arrived home yesterday and wanted to let you know that I am well. I will be sure to tell you everything about my trip when you come home for the summer._

_I love you,_

_Dad._

Delilah put the letter on the table and bit into her toast. She glanced up at Neville who was still reading. Gran had a habit of sending ridiculously long letters. Dean was reading an article out loud, Seamus and Luna amused by the seriousness of his tone. No one took the Prophet very seriously after the end of the war.

"Anything for me?" Delilah asked once Neville stopped reading.

"She wants you to send Hoot," he told her, watching her jaw drop.

"Why?" she asked quickly and sternly. She was very protective of Hoot and treated him very well, something she knew Augusta didn't do. Augusta treated him like any other owl.

"Something about him being quicker than most," Neville handed her the letter. Delilah's eyes swept over it. She had to tune out the loud conversation being held beside her – and the general loudness of the Great Hall – while reading but she got the message.

Delilah put her fingers to her lips and whistled, causing Hoot to turn around mid-flight and fly towards her.

"You need this?" Delilah asked Neville, waving the letter in his face. When he shook his head, she turned it over and scrawled a quick message on the back. "Take this to Gran."

When she eventually tuned back into the conversation being held by her friends, she was horrified to find out that Seamus was interrogating Dean.

"But seriously, you two _have_ to have something going on." The look on Dean's face made it clear that Seamus had been saying the same thing for the past few minutes.

"Mate, seriously, you'd be the first to know," Dean deadpans. Seamus huffs but pretends that nothing has happened when he notices that Delilah has returned to the conversation.

"I'm going to class. I'll see you in Charms?" Delilah rose abruptly and stepped backwards over the bench. Her friends nodded and told her that they'd see her later. She pulled a face at Neville who didn't look too excited about having to go to Charms.

As she exited the Great Hall, thankful to be away from the loudness, she saw Blaise walking by himself up the staircase.

"Boo!" The witch jumped behind Blaise, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him lightly.

"So scared," he said stonily. Delilah dropped into step beside him and frowned.

"You're grumpier than usual."

"I know we aren't best friends or anything like that," he started, "but I don't appreciate being lied to."

"I haven't ever lied to you?" Delilah's uncertainty came across as she tried to think back to something she might have lied about. Delilah didn't often lie – she found it too hard to keep track of them – but she may have slipped up.

"Could have sworn you told me that you weren't with Dean." Delilah took a deep breath to compose herself.

"How the fuck did you figure that out?" she asked angrily. She had been unable to compose herself "I'm _not_ with Dean. I don't know why people think I am! For Merlin's sake! And Shay started that fucking rumour _last night_! How did it get down to the dungeons so fast?!"

She was walking quicker as she got angrier but Blaise made no attempt to walk beside her. He continued at his leisurely pace, watching as Delilah worked herself up.

Out of nowhere, Delilah whipped out her wand and pointed it at Blaise.

"What are you doing?" Blaise asked wearily, coming to a stop with his hands out in front of him.

"Tell me why I shouldn't," she gritted at him.

"I haven't done anything wrong," he defended himself. "What are you going to do, anyway? Bat bogey? Horn growing? Jelly-Legs jinx perhaps?"

"I think I might make it rain," Delilah said, pretending to ponder her choices. In a flash, Blaise was covered by a rain cloud. "You shouldn't believe rumours."

"What did you do? Why is it raining?" he asked, completely bewildered. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

Delilah's face crumbled and she shook her head furiously. She wasn't angry at Blaise. She had no reason to be.

"I don't feel well." Delilah's voice was quieter than Blaise ever remembers. She dropped her gaze, staring at her shoes, and walked back towards the Hospital Wing.

"Can you, uh, make it stop?" Blaise questioned, shaking out his hair. Dee turned around, reversed the spell, and then continued her walk back to the Hospital Wing.

She was embarrassed. She knew very well that she had overreacted but it had gotten to her. She was sick of people spreading rumours or assuming things.

She was also scared, what if Dean thought that her happiest memory was going to lead to something? Seamus had said, after all, that Dean had a crush on her.

Delilah Longbottom had too much to think about and it was going to drive her crazy.


	16. Looking Up, Yet Sideways

**Author's Note: Long time no see.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Delilah Longbottom, everyone and thing else belongs to JK Rowling.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen: Looking Up, Yet Sideways<strong>

* * *

><p>Delilah stood at the end of Lavender's bed with a solemn look.<p>

"We should talk," she said.

"Are you going to apologise?" Lavender asked, sitting up and crossing her arms over her shirt. It was far too early in the morning for such a conversation but if Delilah was going to apologise, it was worth it.

"I'm sorry." Delilah mumbled, looking above Lavender's head.

"That was pathetic," Lavender huffed, glaring at her former friend. "You expect me to believe that? What do you want if you aren't going to apologise properly?"

"I am sorry," Delilah said clearer and louder. "I meant it as a joke, I didn't think you'd take it so seriously, nor did I think the whole thing would last so long. Then again," Delilah interrupted Lavender's attempt to speak, "I didn't expect my best mate to start dating Shay, either."

Lavender, who had started to smile after Delilah's second apology, sunk back into her bed and bit her lip. She had been dreading the conversation ever since she told Seamus she'd love to date him. Every time she saw Delilah in the halls, she expected a confrontation and every time one did not take place, she realised more and more just how upset Delilah was.

"Dee…"

"What, Lav? I call you a slag and you get revenge by dating him? That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Delilah asked, sitting down at the very end of the bed. She looked at her hands and sighed deeply. "It hurt."

"It wasn't for revenge, I swear," Lavender stated, pushing the covers back and scooting closer to Delilah. "Last year… You know how close we got last year."

"I got pretty close with him, too, and he doesn't seem to want to date me."

"We went to the Yule Ball together; you knew he had a crush on me. I know you thought it had passed, so did I…" the sincerity in Lavender's voice made Delilah look at her with sad eyes. "He doesn't know what he's done to you."

"You do," Delilah was fighting back tears but the crack in her voice alerted Lavender.

"I know I do, but I can't help that I have feelings for Shay.

"They surpassed our friendship, then?" Delilah raised an eyebrow, causing to Lavender to break eye contact.

"Considering it wasn't long after you called me names…" she trailed off.

The sun was rising through the window and Delilah longed to be outside to see it. It was going to be the first reasonable day of the year and she hated to start it getting into a fight with Lavender.

"I hate it when we aren't speaking," Delilah revealed and Lavender looked up with a small smile.

"Hasn't been great for me either."

"I should have apologised earlier…"

"But you're too proud," Lavender finished and then added, "and it wasn't entirely a lie."

"I miss my best friend, Lav, I just… I want her back," Delilah smiled at Lavender who immediately leant over and hugged her.

* * *

><p>Walking into the Great Hall later that morning, Delilah was pleased to see that the Hogwarts students were surprised. Of course many things at the school were unexpected, not one person had thought they'd see Delilah and Lavender walk to breakfast together, laughing like nothing was wrong.<p>

The ceiling matched the gorgeous sky outside and Delilah was ecstatic to know that her mood matched the weather – it was one of her favourite feelings. The looks she received from her friends made the morning even better. Seamus was absolutely delighted to see that the girls at made up, Neville was more than confused and Dean had a mouth full of food but Delilah expected his expression was that of shock. Hermione was still ignoring her and refused to acknowledge the mending of the friendship.

The two girls split up at the end of the long table so they could sit opposite each other.

"When did this happen?" Seamus asked, helping his girlfriend onto the bench, kissing her cheek in the process.

"An hour ago?" Lavender looked to Delilah for confirmation, the latter nodded.

"I'm glad! There'll be a lot less tension going through the school if you two are speakin' to each other. Who do you need to reconcile with now?"

"Hermione… And Blaise, too."

Neville raised his eyebrow, "I thought you two were close." Delilah pulled a box of cereal towards her and began to pour it into her bowl.

"Then you missed the part where I made the heavens open up right above him."

"I love that spell," Seamus grinned with a nod. Lavender couldn't help but roll her eyes and Delilah smiled apologetically. The smile quickly disappeared when Lavender snuggled closer to Seamus. Delilah watched jealousy as his arm instantly wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her towards him.

"You never really get used to that unfortunately," Dean commented, noticing the uneasy expression on his friend's face as she bit into a piece of plain toast. "You do however, learn when to turn away." He dropped his arm over her shoulder to give her a comforting squeeze but quickly withdrew it when Delilah became still.

Nothing was said, Dean just let it go, but Delilah's mind reeled as she remembered that Dean had feelings for her. She kept her eyes on her plate, not wanting to look up for fear of seeing Seamus and Lavender and not wanting to look to her left in case Dean caught her eye.

"Hungry are you, Dee?" Neville directed at his cousin after at least ten minutes of her silence. "I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much." Very briefly she looked up and glared at him with a furrowed brow. It lasted all of five seconds before more toast was crammed into her mouth.

She was making herself sick with how much she was eating – leaving would be risking her friend's following her. If she kept eating, no one would make conversation. They wouldn't be able to call her out for the quiver in her voice.


End file.
